14 iBreak Even
by Pock
Summary: This story is a response to a challenge given to me by akarandomfang. Song fic, Seddie. Cute. Oneshot.


I don't own iCarly, Taylor Swift, or The Swift.

This story was written as a song-fic challenge set by akarandomfang at

www dot fanfiction dot net/u/4281381/akarandomfang

Check out fang's profile to see another ending to the song scene.

* * *

"Sam, Sam, Sam!" Carly called running down the hallways meeting her best friend at their lockers after school. "Is it true? Did you really glue Mr. Howard's hands to his butt?"

"Yep, sure did," Sam smiled looking rather accomplished.

"But why?" Carly asked. "It's been months since you've gotten detention."

"Momma gets bored sometimes," she smiled shutting the locker.

"But you were' going to take me home today," Carly reminded her.

"Oh, right… I forgot," Sam said. "Why don't you just call Spencer?" she asked.

"He's hanging out with Socko, but I'll text him anyway and see if he will come," Carly said pulling out her phone.

"You could try Freddie," Sam said, looking at her shoes as she mentioned his name. "The A/V club is helping with the play this weekend. He's setting up in the auditorium right now."

"Okay, I'll try him too," Carly said. "You better get to Howard's room for detention before he penalizes you even more…"

"Hey, Carly," Sam said grabbing her by the sleeve before the brunette could leave."

"What's up, Sam?" Carly asked, not sure what she was on about.

"Do me a favor? Don't tell Freddie I got detention again. He'll just… be disappointed in me," she looked at her feet again, making sure to hide her blush from Carly. "He doesn't need to know."

"Okay, Sam," Carly said. "I won't tell him." She made her way to the auditorium in search of a driver to take her home.

* * *

Freddie walked into the audio/visual booth in the auditorium at 3:30pm. He'd set up these cords so many times before he knew exactly what he was doing.

_I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing  
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in_Freddie sang.

With his pear buds in, he sang along with The Script, one of his favorite bands. This particular song was one he really connected with.

_Cos I got time while she got freedom  
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't break even_he sang.

He started unrolling more microphone cords as he sat down at the sound board.

_Her best days will be some of my worst  
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first_

He slid under the table and began connecting cords.

_While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping  
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven... even... no_

As the song got the chorus, he sang louder, not knowing that Carly had just entered the auditorium behind him.

_What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you,  
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,  
I'm falling to pieces_

Carly grinned as she approached Freddie and the A/V booth from behind him. With his pear buds in, he didn't hear her enter.

_They say bad things happen for a reason  
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding  
Cos she's moved on while I'm still grieving  
And when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven even... no_

She had thought to interrupt him, but chose to just stand and listen instead. He really was quite a good singer when he thought no one else was listening.

_What am I gonna to do when the best part of me was always you,  
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,  
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,_

Carly watched him work as he plugged cords, turned dials, and aimed lights. _I'm falling to pieces_ She was going to ask for a ride home but she didn't mind waiting. _I'm falling to pieces_

Spencer was indeed busy with Socko and couldn't pick her up her.

_Oh you got his heart and my heart and none of the pain  
You took your suitcase, I took the blame.  
Now I'm try'na make sense of what little remains ooh  
Cos you left me with no love and no love to my name._

She was just a few feet behind Freddie now. She really began to listen to the words he was saying. He was singing with so much soul and emotion, surely he connected with this song... at least some of the lyrics anyway.

_I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing  
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in_

A tear formed in Freddie's eye that Carly barely saw.

_Cos I got time while she got freedom  
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't break  
No it don't break  
No it don't break even no  
What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you and  
What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok  
I'm falling to pieces yeah  
I'm falling to pieces yeah  
I'm falling to pieces_

Carly could tell he wasn't just singing. He was singing from the heart. It brought a solitary tear to her eye as well.

_Oh it don't break even no_

Carly cleared her throat causing Freddie to turn around.

_Oh it don't break even... no _He sang in a hushed voice and he returned to reality. Freddie took out his ear buds. Though he didn't finish singing it, the last line resonated in his eyes.

_Oh it don't break even... no..._He quickly wiped away a few more tears on his face. "Hey, Carly… what's up?"

* * *

"Thanks so much for stopping and taking me home," Carly said again as she and Freddie approached Bushwell Plaza at ten 'til 4. "I'm sorry you have to go back and finish setting things up."

"Oh, it's fine, trust me," Freddie smiled. "I needed a break. I was in there working all of last period today as well." They slowed to a stop at a red light and finally Carly couldn't take it anymore. She had to bring up what she'd seen and heard in the auditorium.

"Hey, Freddie… are you doing okay?" Carly asked.

"Uh… yeah. Why do you ask?" he wondered.

"Well it's just…" Carly hesitated. "Well, I heard you singing in the A/V booth," she said.

"Did I sound that bad?" he joked.

"No, no, it wasn't bad. You sounded great," Carly complemented. "What I mean is… I saw you too. Freddie, you were singing a song about a girl who left her boyfriend . . . and you were crying . . ."

"What?" Freddie defended. "I… no, I wasn't." His voice cracked though and she could tell he was hiding something.

"Yes you were, Freddie," Carly said. "I think you're upset about a girl. Go on, who is it?"

"I… it's nobody, okay," Freddie said, a tear forming in his eye again. "I don't have a chance with her anymore." The light finally turned green again and they proceeded to their building.

Carly suddenly felt full of angst. It had downed on her that Freddie may still love her. He may _still,_ after all these years, be in love. And he was definitely right; he doesn't have a chance.

"Its… Freddie, who is it?" she asked again. "I'm not here to make fun of you, I want to help you feel better."

"You won't laugh?" Freddie asked, wiping the tear away.

_Please don't be me, please don't be me, please don't be me_ Carly begged. "Yes, Freddie, I promise I won't laugh."

"It's Sam, okay?" he huffed. "I'm still in love with her and its killing me! You heard that song. It, like… my anthem or something. It describes exactly how I've been feeling for like 2 months now."

"Oh my God, Freddie, I didn't know," Carly said, placing her hand gently over his. "Look, why don't you try talking to her?"

"Carly, it's been months, and she never talks to me the way she did when we dated," Freddie explained. "I haven't seen any hint that she might still like me."

"Freddie, are you really falling to pieces over her?" Carly asked quoting the song. "Do you really love her so much that you feel barely alive without her?"

Freddie hesitated, then answered, "Yeah, Carly, I do," he frowned.

"Then just tell her how you feel!" Carly half yelled as they entered the parking lot at their residence.

"Carly, it's not that easy—"

"Yes, it is," Carly interrupted him. "Freddie. You, Sam, and I are best friends. You know that you can tell me to be serious and listen and that I will help you with any problem you have. That is what friends are for. You can do that with Sam too. You just need to tell Sam that you need her to be serious. Let her know you need her in best-friend-mode."

"What if she laughs at me?" Freddie asked. "What if she doesn't love me back?"

"Sam can be mean, Freddie, but I know she cares about you," Carly said. "I can't promise that she'll love you back… but I promise you she will not laugh at your feelings. You didn't laugh at her when she kissed you at the lock-in."

"Yeah, but things are different now," he added irrationally. "What if… what if…"

"Freddie," Carly interrupted again. "Do you remember what you told me that you told Sam that night?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Tell me again," Carly requested.

"I told Sam that it can be scary to put your feelings out there," Freddie remembered. "You never know if the person you like is gonna like you back… I told her that everyone feels that way."

"You never know what might happen, Freddie," Carly encouraged, finishing his story for him. "Just talk to her, okay?"

For the first time, Freddie smiled. "Thanks, Carly. I will."

* * *

Freddie felt much more confident after his pep talk with Carly. He'd actually been psyching himself up for almost an hour now. He had texted Sam asking her to come meet him in the auditorium once detention was over… To which she asked how he knew about her detention. Carly had kept to her word and not told Freddie… but word gets around; he'd heard it from Gibby.

Freddie had the radio playing softly throughout the room in order to check acustics. Taylor Swift was on again.

As he finished adjusting spotlights around 5pm, Freddie made his way to the balcony to check one last thing; the video camera. All the plays were recorded from the balcony on the school camera which had decent zoom and a microphone. Freddie wished he had someone to do a visual check on. Almost as if it were scripted, Sam walked. Since Freddie was nowhere to be found, she began to sing along out loud to the radio. Except Sam was putting her own spin on it…

_I'm really gonna miss you picking fights  
And me, falling for it screaming that I'm right  
And you, will hide away and find your piece of mind  
with some other webshow that's much cooler than mine_ Sam sang.

Cringing at the words, but mesmerized at her beautiful voice, Freddie zoomed in on Sam and did the visual and sound checks on her.

_Oooh you texted me again tonight  
But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you  
We are never ever ever getting back together  
We are never ever ever getting back together  
You go talk to your friends talk  
To my friends talk to me  
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together _Sam sang beautifully

Hoping beyond all hope that Sam was not as connected to her lyrics as he was to his, he took a deep breath, followed by a leap of faith. Deciding to put his own spin on the words as well, he sang down to her.

_I used to think, that we, were forever ever ever  
And I used to say never say never_

Sam turn to look at him and smiled.

"Sam Puckett… I still love youuuuu," he called suddenly feeling very embarrassed, but pushing forward still mimicking the song.

"I like… I mean, uh… So, you think there's any chance of us…  
You know… like… ever?"

Sam grinned and blushed. He had sang to her, even if it had only been a few lines! What kind of boy sings to you and then declares his love to you from on top of a balcony? Had he brought her here for this? As excitement filled her up and her face got redder, she mustered up the courage to answer his song with more song of her own.

_We've took forever ever ever, let's get back together  
We've took forever ever ever, I wanna get back together _She sang.

Freddie cut in.

_We don't talk, I'm just so shocked  
That you would still love me  
I thought we'd never ever ever… get back together_

"Freddie, come down here right now!" Sam shouted as the song faded and a new one started playing. He ran down the stairs to her where she was waiting for him, her arms open. "Freddie, that was beautiful! Did you plan that?" She asked as they hugged.

"No… I was so nervous, Sam," Freddie admitted right away.

"You meant it though, right?" Sam asked. "You better not be messin' with Mama!"

"I mean it, Sam," Freddie smiled. "I've been a mess since we broke up. Look, I don't care if we have different friends or do different things. I love you and I want to be with you again."

Sam nearly knocked some teeth out she slammed her lips onto his so fast. After a steady barrage of kisses, she pulled away to ask, "And you don't care that I'm not normal? You don't care that I get detention, and have family in prison, and crave meat at odd hours during the night?"

"It's all fine, Baby," Freddie smiled, pulling her closer and sneaking a kiss onto her neck. "And you don't care that I'm nerdy? You don't care that I follow the rules or that I don't like making trouble?"

"Freddie, those are all things I love about you," Sam declared, still hugging him tightly. "I need you to be normal! I need someone to keep me from going crazy!"

"I'm so happy, Sam," he grinned, finally pulling away so he could see the huge smile on her face too. "I thought you'd moved on."

"Freddie, I never moved on," Sam admitted. "So, you almost done with all this junk?" Sam asked jokingly.

"Yeah, I just finished," he said.

"You wanna come over and, uh… have some alone time?" she asked with a grin.

"Are you asking if I wanna make out for half an hour?" Freddie grinned as they headed for the door.

"Who said anything about just half an hour?" she giggled as they let the door swing closed behind her.

* * *

Challenge 1: "Write a Seddie scene where Carly walks in on Freddie singing Break Even by The script.  
Done, I wrote the auditorium scene.

Challenge 2: "Let's both write endings to that scene. It will be fun to see how you play things out."  
Done, I finished this story.

My Challenge to all of you reading this story:  
Write a story where two characters sing two different songs. Any ships, any songs. The songs have to move the plot forward. Send me a PM after you post it.


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